VICTORIA'S dairy lobby wants Dairy Australia to review its constitution.
The United Dairyfarmers' of Victoria wants to see if Dairy Australia can better service the industry after 10 years in operation.UDV president Kerry Callow said a review needed to consider the composition of the DA Board, including representation by dairy farmers, whether the chairman should be a dairy farmer, directors terms of office, the process for filling vacancies, the use of proxy votes and new voting technologies.
"A lot has changed in both the dairy and agri-political landscape since then,'' Ms Callow said.
"We have seen changes to our farmer-owned and controlled co-operatives.
"From the industry's deregulation to the impact of the prolonged drought and then dealing with the impact of the global financial crisis - change has been constant.
"Ten years ago we didn't have three Regional Development Programs (RDPs) across Victoria to provide dairy farmers with local research, extension and education.
"And the industry wasn't funding its own education needs as it now does with the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia (NCDEA).
"DA has served the industry well and is essential to ensuring research, development and investment in building a strong future for Australian dairy farmers continues.
"But with external funding drying up and government and private funding harder to secure, it is timely that a review take place."
Earlier this year dairy farmers voted to increase their levy payments by 10 per cent. This rise came into affect at the beginning of this season.
Dairy farmers contributed $31 million last year, according to the UDV.
The Dairy Australia annual meeting is on November 30 at Flemington Racecourse.
